U.S. Will Let Iran Oil Waiver Expire as Blockade Tightens Grip on Global Flows
Photo credit: Shutterstock/Igor Grochev
U.S. Will Let Iran Oil Waiver Expire as Blockade Tightens Grip on Global Flows
Reuters
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April 14, 2026
By Timothy Gardner and Andrea Shalal
WASHINGTON, April 14 (Reuters) – The Trump administration will allow a 30-day
waiver of sanctions
on Iranian oil at sea to expire later this week, two administration officials told Reuters on Tuesday, as the U.S. imposes a
blockade
on shipments from Iranian ports.
The move signals that “Treasury is going full force on Economic Fury,” on Iran, an apparent reference to Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-led military campaign against the country, one of the officials said.
The Trump administration has long said it is applying “maximum pressure” on Iran over its nuclear program and support for militants across the Middle East, though sanctioned oil has continued to reach China.
The waiver, which the Treasury Department
issued on March 20
, allowed some 140 million barrels of oil to reach global markets a
Bulk Carrier Hit by Projectiles Off Oman as Maritime Threats Spill Beyond Hormuz
Luojiashan tanker sits anchored in Muscat, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 7, 2026. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
Bulk Carrier Hit by Projectiles Off Oman as Maritime Threats Spill Beyond Hormuz
Mike Schuler
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April 14, 2026
A bulk carrier was struck by projectiles in the Arabian Sea off the coast of Oman last week, marking another incident as security risks continue to spread beyond the Strait of Hormuz.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations said it received a report on April 7 of an attack about 112 nautical miles southeast of Ras Al Hadd. The vessel’s master reported that the ship had been hit by “two unidentified projectiles,” sparking a fire onboard.
A Pakistan Navy vessel responded to assist, and authorities later declared the incident complete.
US-Sanctioned Tanker Tests Trump Blockade With Hormuz Exit
Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Frank E. (DDG 121) sails in the Arabian Sea during Operation Epic Fury, March 18, 2026. Navy photo)
US-Sanctioned Tanker Tests Trump Blockade With Hormuz Exit
Bloomberg
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April 14, 2026
By Weilun Soon
Apr 14, 2026 (Bloomberg) –A US-sanctioned tanker linked to China is sailing out of the Strait of Hormuz and into the Gulf of Oman, testing President Donald Trump’s naval blockade.
Rich Starry
, a medium-range tanker earlier known as
Full Star
, was
blacklisted
by Washington in 2023 for helping Tehran evade energy sanctions.
Russian Drones hit Ukrainian Port, Damage Panama-Flagged Vessel, Officials Say
Credit: watcher fox / Shutterstock.com
Russian Drones hit Ukrainian Port, Damage Panama-Flagged Vessel, Officials Say
Reuters
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April 14, 2026
April 14 (Reuters) – Russian drones attacked Ukraine’s Izmail port in the southern Odesa region overnight and damaged a civilian Panama-flagged vessel, Ukrainian officials said on Tuesday.
Several strikes were recorded at the port area, Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said, adding that separate infrastructure elements and equipment were also damaged.
“The enemy is once again deliberately striking critical infrastructure and logistics in the Odesa region,” Kuleba said on the Telegram messaging app.
One of the strikes caused a fire, which was quickly extinguished, he said.
The Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority said the port continued to operate.
Izmail lies on the Danube at the southwestern tip of Ukraine and faces Romanian territory on the other riverbank. It has become an important and frequently hit logistical area for
w
MMI Daily Iron Ore Index Report April 13 2026
MMI Daily Iron Ore Index Report April 13 2026
in
Chinese iron ore and steelmaking prices
13/04/2026
Today DCE Iron ore futures experienced notable activity in the aŌernoon session, with the primary contract I2609
closing at 763 yuan per tonne, representing a 1.26% increase from the previous trading session. Spot prices rose by 5 to 8 yuan per tonne compared to the previous day. Traders engaged actively in quoting prices; however, steel mills approached purchasing with caution, resulting in generally sluggish spot trading.
Bunkering at $1,000/MT: What I’m Telling Clients Right Now
Bunkering at $1,000/MT: What I’m Telling Clients Right Now
in
International Shipping News
14/04/2026
I spend a lot of time inside clients’ IMOS environments — implementations, optimizations, training sessions. In the past three weeks, almost every conversation has started the same way: what do we do about bunkers?
It is not a surprising question. Singapore VLSFO surged from 574.5 USD/MT on the 2nd March to 1119.5 USD/MT on the 16th March, a near doubling of price in just two weeks — rendering a significant portion of open voyage P&L assumptions functionally obsolete overnight.
Fuel Switch Snapshot: LSMGO plunges in Singapore but remains above B100
Fuel Switch Snapshot: LSMGO plunges in Singapore but remains above B100
in
International Shipping News
14/04/2026
Singapore’s B100 discount to LSMGO has narrrowed by $178/mt to $544/mt in the past week for voyages into the EU. The price gap has narrowed as LSMGO is down by almost $300/mt.
To recap, Singapore’s B100 price flipped from a premium to a rare discount to LSMGO in the second week of March, when gasoil prices surged after vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was choked off.
For dual-fuel vessels bunkering in Singapore and sailing to the EU, B100 premiums over LNG have narrowed by $82-83/mt in the past week to $45-145/mt, depending on the vessel’s engine.
LNG discounts to LSMGO in Singapore have also narrowed in the past week, by more drastic $260-262/mt to $588-689/mt.
Rotterdam B100’s discount to its VLSFO has widened by $16/mt to $224/mt, and B100’s discount to LSMGO has widened by $20/mt to $755/mt in the past week.
LNG price premiums over liquefied biomethane (LBM)
Trump says 34 ships passed through Hormuz strait after blockade comes into effect
Trump says 34 ships passed through Hormuz strait after blockade comes into effect
in
International Shipping News
14/04/2026
President Donald Trump on Monday touted the “highest number” of ships transiting through the critical Strait of Hormuz, after earlier confirming that a U.S. blockade of the vital waterway had gone into effect.
Still, confusion reigned over the details of the blockade, with Trump warning Iranian ships not to attempt to cross the shipping bottleneck.
“34 Ships went through the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, which is by far the highest number since this foolish closure began,” Trump said on social media.
In a post before that, Trump said any Iranian vessels that come close to the blockade would be “immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea.”
The U.S. military previously said that it would start a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz at 10 a.m.
GMS Week 15 – WAR PREMIUM CRACKS!
GMS Week 15 – WAR PREMIUM CRACKS!
in
Weekly Demolition Reports
14/04/2026
The single most consequential development of Week 15 came out of Washington, not the recycling yards. President Trump’s
decision to delay planned strikes on Iranian energy infrastructure by five days, alongside comments describing talks with Iran as “productive,” triggered the sharpest oil reversal since the conflict began. Brent, which had held above USD 109/barrel through Q1 and into early Q2, fell to near USD 101/barrel by week’s end, an almost 8% drop in a matter of hours.
Global Oil Flows Plunge as Hormuz Disruption Chokes Tanker Trade
Stock Photo: SOMKIET POOMSIRIPAIBOON / Shutterstock
Global Oil Flows Plunge as Hormuz Disruption Chokes Tanker Trade
Mike Schuler
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April 14, 2026
Global seaborne crude oil shipments have fallen 16% since the start of the Iran war, according to the BIMCO, highlighting the scale of disruption rippling through energy and tanker markets as traffic through the
Strait of Hormuz
remains severely constrained.
“This represents a reduction of 7.6 million barrels per day… to 38.4 mbpd,” said
BIMCO
Chief Shipping Analyst Niels Rasmussen, noting that flows over the past six weeks have likewise remained 16% below last year’s levels.
That drop means roughly 9.5% of expected global crude production is currently not reaching markets, based on earlier projections from the U.S. Energy Information Administration prior to start of the conflict.
“The reduction in shipments has naturally been driven by the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz,” Rasmussen added.
Gulf Exports Collapse Despit